Southwestern offers scholarships for missionaries and their children

FORT WORTH, Texas (SWBTS) – Desiring to train men and women who will reach the world for Christ, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has announced a new set of scholarships available to Southern Baptist missionaries and their children.

According to Thomas White, vice president for student services and communications, this new scholarship opportunity “will help give back to those who have sacrificed for the cause of Christ” by following God’s call to the mission field.

Students eligible for these scholarships include career missionaries currently serving with the International Mission Board (IMB) or North American Mission Board (NAMB), as well as those who conduct International Learning Center (ILC) Preparatory Training and Journeymen.

"As Robert Naylor, former president at Southwestern Seminary, said, 'The sun never sets on Southwestern.' We wanted to help NAMB church planters and IMB missionary personnel by offering the widest possible package of scholarships,” White said.

This scholarship opportunity, he added, “demonstrates kingdom cooperation across the Southern Baptist Convention and the heart for the Gospel and missions that flows through all that we do at Southwestern.”

Southwestern’s new missionary scholarships will also fund 100 percent of the tuition for children of career missionaries who currently serve with IMB or with NAMB. Missionary children who pursue their undergraduate degrees may receive complete funding for as many as four years. Those who pursue master’s degrees may receive this funding for three years.

“For church planters or missionaries who can’t really save for their children’s college education, this provides an opportunity for a biblically based education and demonstrates that the heart of Southwestern beats for preaching the word and reaching the world,” White said.

Career missionaries themselves may benefit from this opportunity by receiving funds to cover 50 percent of their graduate training, or 20 to 30 percent of their postgraduate training. Those who serve with ILC may receive 100 percent of their funding for up to 6 hours. Additionally, Journeymen who take classes while on the field will receive full funding for their tuition, while returning Journeymen will receive funds for 100 percent of their tuition during their first year of studies and 50 percent for the following two or three years.